Nvidia Corp. has announced a new breed of Quadro professional graphics solutions that are based on the code-named GF100 graphics processing unit (GPU) powered by the Fermi architecture. The new family supports new functionality and well as massively improved performance compared to previous-generation solutions.

The new Quadro line of professional graphics accelerators not only greatly increases geometry performance - the corner stone of professional graphics applications, but also brings a number of rather unique features, including DirectX 11, OpenGL 4, OpenCL 1 and 3D Vision Pro. Besides, the new GF100-based Quadro solutions are the first to combine first professional graphics solution with error correction codes (ECC) memory with IEEE double precision floating point performance. According to Nvidia, these are intended for applications demanding the highest accuracy, such as medical imaging, finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics. Thanks to new Fermi architecture, the new chips feature massive geometry processing, delivering up to five times faster 3D performance and up to eight times faster simulation performance.

In addition, Nvidia introduced an array of the new so-called application acceleration engines (AXEs) which are SceniX 6, Nvidia Cg Tooklit 3 and OptiX 2. The result is that software developers are able to create and deliver the next-generation of professional applications that incorporate compute-intensive tasks. Among these tasks are ray tracing, physics simulation, computational fluid dynamics and real-time video effects processing.

"We have built engines like AXE to enable the creation of next-gen applications. When you couple these technologies with our Fermi architecture, the result is a new Quadro family that's exponentially better than anything the market has ever seen " said Jeff Brown, general manager, professional solutions group at Nvidia.

Workstation OEMs and System Integrators, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Boxx Technologies and NextComputing, are among those that are offering the newest Quadro solutions. Quadro products are also available from value added resellers through master distributors PNY Technologies in North America and Europe, Leadtek in Asia Pacific, and ELSA in Japan.

The Quadro 4000 ($1199) and Quadro 5000 ($2249) are available immediately through all channels. The Quadro 6000 ($4999) and Quadro Plex 7000 ($14 500) will be available this fall. Mobile workstations based on the Quadro 5000M will be available in the third quarter of 2010 from HP and Dell.

"Nvidia isn't just working on building better graphics hardware, but the software tools needed to drive the needed advancements that are now changing the industry. Nvidia was committed to building tool after tool this past decade in order to drive the market where they needed it to go, and their efforts are paying off," said Rob Enderle, principal analys at Enderle Group.